A Federal Excessive Courtroom sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has sentenced two Chinese language nationals to 46 years’ imprisonment every for cyberterrorism and web fraud involving over N3.4 billion and $2.5 million.
That is based on an announcement issued by the Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee (EFCC) on its official X account on Wednesday.
The convictions stem from a large-scale cybercrime operation uncovered by the anti-graft company throughout a coordinated crackdown on on-line fraud syndicates working in Lagos.
What EFCC stated
In line with the EFCC, Justice Daniel Osiagor convicted the Chinese language nationals, Huang Haoyu and An Hongxu on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, after discovering them responsible of cyberterrorism, web fraud and cash laundering.
The fee stated the convicts had been arrested alongside one Friday Audu. The anti-graft company said that Audu allegedly included Genting Worldwide Co. Ltd. on the directive of Huang Haoyu to facilitate the fraudulent operation.
Whereas Huang and Hongxu pleaded responsible after their counsel, Bridget Omateno, knowledgeable the courtroom of their resolution to alter their pleas, Audu maintained his plea of not responsible.
Prosecution counsel, Bilikisu Bala-Buhari, advised the courtroom that two witnesses had already testified earlier than the change of plea. She urged the courtroom to impose life imprisonment on counts one to a few and 14 years’ imprisonment on counts 4 to seven.
- “The defendants procured and employed Nigerian youths to falsely symbolize themselves as international nationals for the aim of defrauding unsuspecting victims by means of on-line platforms,” the EFCC said.
Stand up to hurry
The convictions of Huang Haoyu and An Hongxu, the case had roots in one of many largest cybercrime crackdowns Nigeria has seen in recent times.
In December 2024, the EFCC acted on months of intelligence a few subtle fraud community working out of Lagos. On December 10 and into December 19, operatives executed a shock raid below the identify “Eagle Flush Operation,” sweeping by means of a gaggle of properties in Victoria Island and Ikoyi and arresting 792 suspects linked to alleged cryptocurrency funding and romance scams.
Among the many suspects had been dozens of international nationals from a number of nations, with 148 Chinese language and 40 Filipinos reportedly detained alongside a couple of from different nations.
Nigerian accomplices had been recruited and skilled to create and handle faux on-line personas on platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram and Telegram to pose as international professionals or romantic companions to lure victims in North America, Europe and elsewhere into believing they had been partaking with reliable alternatives or relationships. After belief was established, victims had been pushed into faux cryptocurrency funding schemes that required activation charges or upfront funds.
Extra insights
They had been arraigned by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the EFCC on a seven-count cost bordering on cyberterrorism, web fraud and cash laundering to the tune of N3,407,824,740.78 and $2,562,203.
One of many fees learn:
- “That you simply, Huang Haoyu, a.okay.a Ken, Audu Friday, An Hongxu, Duliang Pan (at massive) and Genting Worldwide Co. Ltd, someday in 2024 in Lagos, throughout the jurisdiction of this Honourable Courtroom, conspired to wilfully trigger to be accessed pc techniques organised to significantly destabilise the financial and social construction of Nigeria… and also you thereby dedicated an offence opposite to Part 27 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, and many others.) Act, 2015 (As Amended, 2024).”
- Following the responsible pleas, prosecution counsel, Bilikisu Bala-Buhari, advised the courtroom that the prosecution had already known as two witnesses earlier than the plea change.
- She urged the courtroom to impose the utmost punishment of life imprisonment on counts one to a few and 14 years’ imprisonment on counts 4 to seven. She additionally prayed the courtroom to order the forfeiture of all gadgets recovered through the investigation to the Federal Authorities of Nigeria.
- Gadgets recovered by the EFCC embody 1,596 cellphones, 2,120 workplace chairs, 544 workplace tables, 194 routers, 43 pc techniques, a community server, 126 air-conditioning items, turbines, autos, a whole lot of mattresses and bunk beds, and hundreds of SIM playing cards throughout completely different networks.
- The gadgets had been seized from premises positioned at Oyin Jolayemi Avenue, Bishop Oluwole Avenue and A.J. Marinho Drive in Victoria Island, in addition to Modupe Alakija Crescent in Ikoyi.
What it’s best to know
In Might 2025, the EFCC arrested 120 suspected web fraudsters in Lagos as a part of its efforts to disrupt on-line fraud networks.
- The suspects had been apprehended following credible intelligence linking them to web‑associated fraud actions, and gadgets, together with 26 unique automobiles and smartphones, had been seized through the operation.
- Earlier enforcement additionally noticed the EFCC arrest 105 suspects in Abuja for alleged web fraud, together with 101 Nigerians and 4 international nationals, in a coordinated motion concentrating on fraudulent schemes reminiscent of resort evaluation job scams that defrauded victims overseas.
The company additionally arrested 28 alleged Ponzi scheme operators in Minna, Niger State, accusing them of luring buyers into fraudulent “funding” offers that promised unrealistic returns and amassing charges, with plans for arraignment.
